I built a 3 tap kegerator last December. I had 3 beers on tap this month and they all have a weird taste that I can’t put my finger on. Is it possible that if I had one keg contaminated, that they all could get contaminated. I bought my manifold online and am not sure if it had check valves on the out ports of the manifold. Right now I have all Co2 lines disconnected and will be replacing with better line. Are check valves necessary? Thanks for your replies.
Are check valves necessarily
- Thread starter Niatras
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Check valves are the best option of preventing cross contamination via gas lines. If the off flavor was not present with those kegs before they were subjected to the manifold, you have to conclude it came from the Co2 side. Was it a newly filled tank or were the lines already contaminated from storing them unsanitized from previous use? If not we must assume it is from the gas manifold. To answer your question, IMO yes check valves are necessary. You may go for years with no problem. But in the case you are experiencing, check valves could have saved two kegs for you if in fact the off flavor was introduced from one of your other kegs. Check valves are well worth their cost just for preventing beer from backing up into you regulator. I use inline check valves installed near the end of the line next to the QC coupling.
It's highly unlikely that infections travel up through the gas system as long as all kegs connected have positive pressure on them from the manifold down, regardless of having check valves (or not) in the shut offs or somewhere in the gas lines.
Are you going to switch to EVA Barrier lines? I can highly recommend them!
Are you going to switch to EVA Barrier lines? I can highly recommend them!
Yes, switching to EVA. I am going to order all other parts I need as well.
I did get a co2 cylinder from a friend of mine that was old. I had it filled from a local company. The last two kegs in kegerator was carbonated with this newly acquired cylinder. I will not use that cylinder for my beer in fermenter. My that cylinder is the culprit.
I did get a co2 cylinder from a friend of mine that was old. I had it filled from a local company. The last two kegs in kegerator was carbonated with this newly acquired cylinder. I will not use that cylinder for my beer in fermenter. My that cylinder is the culprit.
Yeah, that old tank could be an issue, although unlikely, something obnoxious may have gotten in there at some point. Instead of filling yours, some places will swap the old tank for a filled one, no questions asked.
Swapping has become the new standard here in the U.S.Have you checked and if needed, cleaned that manifold? All of it can be disassembled, even some of the parts themselves.
An (unintended) flush back of beer into it some time ago, could become an infection hazard.
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2020
- Messages
- 2,275
- Reaction score
- 2,359
Three things to add here.
1. There could be some other commonality between the three kegs that caused the infection other than through the gas lines. A transfer hose for instance could be a problem.
2. I've been following @cactusgarrett 's issues with their new Eva Barrier gas lines and ptc fittings. It's just one case that I have seen so far but wish they could get it resolved to know what the problem was!
3. @Niatras You mentioned not being sure about the manifold so I wanted to add that some shutoff valves have the check valve built in. Probably where you meant though when you said manifold.
1. There could be some other commonality between the three kegs that caused the infection other than through the gas lines. A transfer hose for instance could be a problem.
2. I've been following @cactusgarrett 's issues with their new Eva Barrier gas lines and ptc fittings. It's just one case that I have seen so far but wish they could get it resolved to know what the problem was!
3. @Niatras You mentioned not being sure about the manifold so I wanted to add that some shutoff valves have the check valve built in. Probably where you meant though when you said manifold.
Lizard, I do plan on swapping that new tank out but don’t want to unless I find it is an issue. I have not flushed the manifold yet but will before putting on new lines. I will find out if they do indeed have the check valve on the shutouts. I don’t believe I had a flush back. When I took out the lines none of them had any visible signs….not that that means anything.
Everything could be fine and I’m just a bad brewer. I’ve some good beers as well as some not so good. I do clean and sanitize all my transfer lines if that is in question. But, I do keep a 5 gallon bucket of sanitizer and use that for soaking.
As usual in (home)brewing, that's indeed the most likely scenario... ^
If that manifold was brand new, not previously used, it's very unlikely something's in there that could cause an infection.
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2020
- Messages
- 2,275
- Reaction score
- 2,359
Don't be hard on yourself. I try to be as careful as I can be these days but there seems to always be some nook or cranny I didn't check. I have a 3 vessel system and I break my ball valves down periodically, run PBW through after each brew, and starsan through the system. I was having some pump issues recently and I had some spare parts, so I broke down the pumps and reconfigured the pump bodies with bleeder ball valves on the bottom. Well that's when I realized I hadn't taken apart the small ball valves on the outs of the pumps. The wort side was dirtier than I would have liked to see!
A long skinny tubing brush is a useful add if you don't have one. Sometimes you can get buildup in tubing. Not saying that is the issue at all just a tip if you don't have one.
I echo those words.
We all make errors, mostly they go by unnoticed, or don't add up. It looks like you know what you're doing, adds confidence. Then sometimes, they don't let you get away with it, apparently coming out of the blue, leaving you puzzled, such as the one you're dealing with now.
What sanitizer is that?
Tubing, especially on the cold side, can be an infection source. So are valves. Maybe time for a good, thorough inspection, overhaul and scrub. +1 on the long draw brushes for cleaning tubes. Also check and clean any rubber parts and seals, thoroughly.
Perfect! As long as the pH stays below 3 (2.7 is the working solution's upper pH target) it's working. When it gets super cloudy (way beyond a slight haziness), or when in doubt, make fresh. I make 2.5 or 3 gallons at a time, plenty for dunking and soaking, it lasts 2-3 months. Possibly longer, but for good measure I'll just make fresh then.
You could switch to an Iodine based sanitizer for some time. A working solution only lasts 24 hours, max, but it can kill things Starsan can't, just in case. You don't need buckets full of that stuff either.
- Joined
- Jan 3, 2020
- Messages
- 2,275
- Reaction score
- 2,359
Keep in mind even new equipment can be dirty too, it is possible it could be your manifold. Manufacturers use cutting oils and who knows what at times when making products.
Climb
Well-Known Member
FYI, sankey couplers have check valves on both the gas in and liquid out ports. So if check valves are inherent in a sanke system, they probably are a very good ideal to have in a corny keg system.
Ok, 2 things I have checked this morning:
Check valve…all shut offs have check valves. I feel that cross contamination is out.
Ph of Starsan in bucket is 2.37. I feel I’m ok there.
Next step will be swapping out the extra co2 cylinder I received. Not willing to use that tank again. I will be out $20 but what the heck. It was a free tank.
Once again, thank you all.
Check valve…all shut offs have check valves. I feel that cross contamination is out.
Ph of Starsan in bucket is 2.37. I feel I’m ok there.
Next step will be swapping out the extra co2 cylinder I received. Not willing to use that tank again. I will be out $20 but what the heck. It was a free tank.
Once again, thank you all.
They may have used a liquid/paste sealer. But teflon tape should work fine too. Or a combination of the two.
We didn't see a picture of the manifold, but if it's one of those with rectangular aluminum body (looks a short strip/channel), be very careful when tightening, it's very thin material, there are only 2 "turns of thread" inside the body. Use plenty of teflon tape (probably more than 2-3 turns) to get a positive seal while at the same time have it stop in the right position.
It may take a few tries to get it just right.
No, not needed.
I found big gobs of thick cutting grease and aluminum filings inside my (aluminum) manifolds, so I did clean those out thoroughly, while I had them apart.
Reporting back. Kegerator all back together. All three beers taste fine. No off flavors. What a relief. The three on tap are an Irish Red, NEIPA and American Pale from a local Micro Brewery. I like to keep one of theirs on tap for one, they make good beer and two, to support them.
After alls said and done, I believe it was the beer lines. I hadn’t cleaned them since January. As much as I use the kegerator, I didn’t think that I needed to clean them that often. I will for now on clean lines after every keg kicks. I’ve had beers in the pipeline so lines never sat for too long. Oh well lesson learned.
I may just have been that I had that head cold.
Oh and please don’t judge for drinking too early, it’s my day off. Hehe.
After alls said and done, I believe it was the beer lines. I hadn’t cleaned them since January. As much as I use the kegerator, I didn’t think that I needed to clean them that often. I will for now on clean lines after every keg kicks. I’ve had beers in the pipeline so lines never sat for too long. Oh well lesson learned.
I may just have been that I had that head cold.
Oh and please don’t judge for drinking too early, it’s my day off. Hehe.
Similar threads
